G21 upgrade from a 210

[AKJerrod]

Looking for pros /cons from those who have switched to a G21 from a 210. We only surf and are extremely happy with the wave on our 2019 210. I could really use the extra storage though. Thx for any input

[mooneywa]

While I’d didn’t upgrade to a G21, I did upgrade from a 210 to a 230. The showstoppers for the G21, which I did consider, was cost, size, and the debatable notion that if I was going to upgrade to a G, I should just go all out and get a G23. While the cost was outside my budget, it was the size that really was the showstopper. The G was just right on the edge of towing limits and probably beyond what I considered comfortable. Additionally, I would have needed to upgrade my lift motor on my dock to make sure it was correct for the weight of that heavy of a boat. At the end of the day, the 230 was the perfect answer. The same (or perhaps arguably better) surf wave, a little more space, only a few hundred lbs more, etc. fit the bill. However, I also have it on a dock and don’t need to haul all kinds of gear with me in the boat. If we have too many boards, we leave some at the dock, same with ropes. Don’t need massive coolers or anything else that the G is really good at holding that I don’t think the 230 would.

[AKJerrod]

Do you have a lot more storage in the 230? I didn’t expect to have such a big crew but we had 8-10 people on the boat quite a bit and the extra stuff just crowded the boat. I’ve heard the G21 wave isn’t as long as the 210. We LOVE our 210 BUT some more space would be awesome. I just do t want to end up with a lesser wave. We only surf

[charlesml3]

Well it depends on what you mean by a lesser wave. If lesser means shorter, then yes, that's what you'll get. The 210 and 230 surf LONG.

-Charles

[mooneywa]

Do you need more storage for stuff or for people? 8-10 people on a 21’ boat consistently is kind of crowded especially if you’re out all day. A 230 vs a G21 would help that. The bow has an extra 6” and the other extra 18” is behind the helm. Would be a lot more comfortable if you’re consistently above 6 people but it isn’t going to be the storage for stuff beast the G series is. The G might have more storage for stuff but I don’t think it would be so much more comfortable for 8-10 people that it would justify the upgrade. Doubly so if you like the wave the 210/230 hull makes. See if your dealer has a 230 you can look at. We were pretty surprised how much bigger it felt compared to our 210 when we first looked at it.

Sidebar: what’s the boating/surfing scene like in Alaska? Are they lakes or do you go in bays on the Pacific? How short is the season?

[AKJerrod]

I hate that the 210/230 models have carpet under the seats and it’s really a pain to get seadek under there since it isn’t finished under the carpet..... We surf in Big Lake, Alaska. It’s about an hour outside of Anchorage (the largest city). We surf from May to October. Wetsuits in May and September October. I got my 2019 the first week of June and we put 110 hrs on it by August. We’d have more but I work out of town two weeks at a time. My buddy put 100 plus hours on his Axis t22. The sport is definitely getting more popular. It’s only my third year going to the lake but we are seeing a lot more boats on the water.

[AKJerrod]

Do you need more storage for stuff or for people? 8-10 people on a 21’ boat consistently is kind of crowded especially if you’re out all day. A 230 vs a G21 would help that. The bow has an extra 6” and the other extra 18” is behind the helm. Would be a lot more comfortable if you’re consistently above 6 people but it isn’t going to be the storage for stuff beast the G series is. The G might have more storage for stuff but I don’t think it would be so much more comfortable for 8-10 people that it would justify the upgrade. Doubly so if you like the wave the 210/230 hull makes. See if your dealer has a 230 you can look at. We were pretty surprised how much bigger it felt compared to our 210 when we first looked at it.

Sidebar: what’s the boating/surfing scene like in Alaska? Are they lakes or do you go in bays on the Pacific? How short is the season?

How do you feel about the surf wave in a 230 vs the 210? Is it WAY better? I just want to be more comfortable on the boy when we have 6+ people. 4-5 isn’t really an issue. I figured having the storage on a G21 would eliminate all of the life vest, fenders, cooler etc being in the seating area. I could find used a G23 I guess. I just don’t wanna sacrifice the wave quality at all. That’s way more important than storage. Thx for the input though. I’ll def look into the 230 and get a price on one. Does the 230 have the courtesy lighting package option?

[scottb7]

G21 or g23 going to eliminate all the stuff you mention in the seating area. The space in the rear lockers is huge and since subfloor ballast, when i have big groups i just throw everything in rear lockers and sort it out end of day. I would say if you OFTEN have 6+ people then go with either 230 or g23.

Obviously if your happy with surf wave of 210 you gonna be happy-ier with surf wave of 230 or g23. Both are big boats so be sure you good with towing, storing etc. It is a pretty significant change just pulling it up the boat ramp at the lake...

P.s. The g series drives like a mini-van compared to the 210/230, which i felt was like a sports car or more runabout like...but that's what you get from a dedicated wake/surf boat...

[hal2814]

I had the older 210 hull earlier this summer. My friend had the newer 210 and it was amazing at surfing so I went to my local Nautique dealer. I was set on a G21 going in but ended up with a 230. It’s an amazing wave and felt a lot bigger than the newer 210. I’ve taken crews of 10+ out pretty comfortably on the 230. It doesn’t have nearly the storage of the G21 but it fits everything we regularly take with us pretty well with a little space left over. I think the 230 is worth looking at. At this point if I upgrade it’ll be for a G23. I really like the G21 but it’s no longer on my upgrade path. I think the 230 is a better surf-first boat.

[mooneywa]

How do you feel about the surf wave in a 230 vs the 210? Is it WAY better? I just want to be more comfortable on the boy when we have 6+ people. 4-5 isn’t really an issue. I figured having the storage on a G21 would eliminate all of the life vest, fenders, cooler etc being in the seating area. I could find used a G23 I guess. I just don’t wanna sacrifice the wave quality at all. That’s way more important than storage. Thx for the input though. I’ll def look into the 230 and get a price on one. Does the 230 have the courtesy lighting package option?

I honestly don’t have enough of a sample size to give a definitive 210 to 230 surf wave comparison, but I liked the wave on the 210 and really liked it on the 230 and it carried a big boy like me a little better. On the 2X0s, the key is keeping the nose down and I felt the 230 did that better. I also have 750lb sacs in the lockers and 150lbs of lead weight in the front.

230 has the standard lighting plus optional underwater and docking. I have the underwater but no docking lighting for the options but otherwise the standard interior lighting.

Based on this discussion, I’d probably rule out the G21 for the change in surf wave and only marginal increase in available storage and no major increase in seating. I’d look at the 230 or a G23 and weigh the importance of something new, something with massive storage but also a massive cost vs a known wake and a little less storage and increased ease in trailering.